The Best time to be an American
 

A time when the tax rates for the ultra rich was 50% or higher, Unions were at their strongest and a women was able to stay home with the kids because a man made a liveable wage. Cars were 100% American made and gas was cheap.

Lets talk about the 1950's a time when few will argue the U.S. was at a moment in greatness it would seem. A Republican was in the White House for most of the decade. Just though I'd through that in........

We had turned around from a depression through government stimulus spending in the previous decade. Building a strong infrastructure as a base for future growth. The schools and teachers are good and parents a partner to the child's education.

A worker could expect to work for a company their whole working career with a nice retirement at the end. Send their kid to collage for little money or with real aid from the government.

Boy we sure have improved in the last sixty years........ I know healthcare and advances in science have made life more comfortable but still we could maybe learn from looking at what our country had going back then.



Barney

It wasn't great if you were black or if you disliked "duck and cover" drills.;)

I had a cool poster up that read like an official duck and cover from the civil defense folks until you got to the last line. "Place your head firmly between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye!":D

One could argue that the mid '90's were better than the halcyon days of the 1950's. We weren't at war with anybody, running a budget surplus and the stock market was booming.

I was aiming to make a point that at a time when unions were strong and government spending was greater along with taxes at high point. Things were better for most Americans. Regulations were in place to protect the average person also. Like the phone company and the airlines just to mention a few.

True there were plenty of negatives but over all things were good for most.

It just seems that with the weakening of unions and the lowering of tax rates the average American quality of life has suffered.

Barney

Utopian 50's talk......

Paging Bluestreak........Paging Bluestreak ........ ;)

Granted!

But it was the start of the equal rights movement was it not?


Barney

Then, in the 1960s those idiots Goldwater, Weyrich and Reagan launched a movement determined to "fix" all of that...................................:mad:

You don't think outsourcing has been a great boom to American industry, Barney?

(Yeah, me niether. Actually, it appears to have been a giant fucking disaster.)

What makes you think a bilionaire should have to pay any more taxes than you do?

(Oh, I dunno. Maybe 'cuz they can, and doing so gets a lot of stuff done, or at least it used to, before Republicans decided it was "so(c)ialism".)

What makes you think you should have a pension when other people don't?

(Why don't I have a pension when others do? Or, are pensions just another "perk" reserved for the privilged few who don't need them, like tax free income?)

Don't you want to put a stop to other people living off of your paycheck?

(No. I think we all live off of each others paychecks in one way or another. And if you put a stop to it, civilization grinds to a halt. No consumerism-no economy.)

:)

Dave

I don't think Barney is engaged in "utopia talk" at all. He's acknowledged that it wasn't perfect and I'd have to agree. There have always been problems, but to deny that economically we had a stronger industry and higher standard of living is denying the truth.

All through the 1950, '60s and '70s my old man raised a family of NINE on one bluecollar income. Then came St. Ronnie and the great republican revolution.

Try raising a family of nine on one bluecollar income now.............:rolleyes:

But, at least the 1%ers have a lighter tax load. PHEW! Thank God for that! (Where's that "sarcasm" smiley?)

Dave

And just to beat Pete to the punch;

WW2 had something to do with that.

Dave